Obituaries

Mar 17, 2021

Charlene Rector, age 71, of Sylva, NC, passed away on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was the daughter of the late Robert and Belva Rector.

As a psychiatric nurse, she impacted the lives of many people. In later years, she owned Shared Blessings Farm, where she raised many types of animals and continued...

Mar 16, 2021

Willard Bryson, 77, of Sylva, went home to be with the Lord, Tuesday March 16, 2021. A native and a lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was the son of the late Bud and Flora Bryson. 

Willard was a Member of Sunrise House of Worship and loved coon hunting, fishing and old westerns. He would also enjoy listening to Gospel music...

Mar 15, 2021

Ethel Smith Cunningham, 89, of Sylva, formerly of Cherokee, went home to be with the Lord, Monday March 15, 2021.

A native and lifelong resident of Western North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late James "Budge" and Cecilia Smith.

Ethel was a member of Laurel Branch Baptist Church and she enjoyed gardening and working with her flowers. She loved helping people ...

Mar 15, 2021

Ernest "Ernie" Bumgarner, age 91, of Sylva, passed away on Monday March 15, 2021. He was the husband of the late Milly Bumgarner and the son of the late Charlie and Lennis Bumgarner.

Mr. Bumgarner was an active member of Love's Chapel United Methodist Church. He was actively involved in the American Legion Post 104. Ernie loved playing golf, especially with...

Mar 12, 2021

Samuel Franklin (Sam) Beck passed away on Friday, March 12th, just one day prior to his 89th birthday. Sam was born March 13, 1932, in the East Fork community of Jackson County. He was the son of John Candler and Margaret Buchanan Beck.

Sam served four years in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command and was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska,...

Mar 11, 2021

Nancy Lanahan Bugby, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister, age 79, passed away peacefully in her home on March 11, 2021, surrounded in love with her husband and daughters.  She is the daughter of John and Dorothy Klinger of Youngstown, Ohio.  Nancy lived her dream of building and living in a log home with her husband, Bobby in the Great...

Mar 6, 2021

Connie Lea Hall, 60, of Sylva, went home to be with the Lord, Saturday March 6, 2021. A native of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late Weldon and Emma Lee Hall. 

Connie enjoyed truck driving and reading her Bible. 

In addition to her parents she was also preceded in death by her brother Weldon Clinton Hall. 

She is survived by...

Mar 6, 2021

Juliann Daley Chapman, 68, of Sapphire, North Carolina passed peacefully in her sleep at home on March 6, 2021. On May 2, 1952, she was born in Atlanta, Georgia where she resided most of her life. For the last 35 years of her life, she lived and raised her family with her husband, Tom, in Marietta. After retiring in March...

Mar 5, 2021

Louise Johnson, age 83, of Sylva, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, March 5, 2021. She was the wife of the late Hampton Johnson and the daughter of the late Perry and Edith Hall. 

A regular attendee of Calvary Baptist Church, Louise loved sewing and quilting and dearly loved her family. 

In addition to her husband and her...

Mar 5, 2021

It is with deepest sorrow and heart break that we announce the passing of Gary Roland Peek. Gary passed peacefully at his home in Cashiers, NC, March 5, 2021.

Gary was born May 3, 1943 in Franklin, NC to Allay Roland and Marie Keener Peek. He worked on the family farm throughout high school before joining the United States Air Force....

Feb 26, 2021

Arnold E. (Ed) Jones, 88, of Sylva, passed away Friday morning February 26, 2021. 

A native of Jackson County he was the son of the late Robert and Ethel Bryson Jones. Ed was a Member of Zion Hill Baptist Church. 

In addition to his parents he was also preceded in death by his wife Arilla M. Jones, his daughter; Debbie J. Watson, grandson;...

Feb 21, 2021

John Anthony Frady, 75, of the Speedwell Community in Cullowhee, went home to be with his Lord on February 21, 2021, in Hospice Care at Haywood Regional Medical Center, after a long courageous battle with multiple medical problems.

Born in SylvaNC, on January 7, 1946, he was the son of the late Sara Lee Miller Frady and was raised by the...

Feb 21, 2021

Suellen Mopps, age 83, of Sylva, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, February 21, 2021. She was the wife of Wilbur Mopps and the daughter of the late Frank and Ellen Stogsdill.

Suellen was a member of Victory Baptist Church and taught school for over twenty-five years before retiring. She enjoyed reading, cooking, camping, and baking. She dearly...

Feb 17, 2021

Feb 15, 2021

Leta Mae Chilleri, age 92, passed away on Monday, January 15, 2021. She was the daughter of the late Eldred and Garnet Shafer. 

She is survived by three children; Linda (Larry) Henrion, Ronald (Susan) DeWitt, and Lynn (Mary Jane) DeWitt. She is also survived by six grandchildren; Heidi (Shawn) Pinder, Francis (Lindsay) DeWitt, Jonathan (Maureen) DeWitt, Beth Ann DeWitt, Alex DeWitt,...

Feb 14, 2021

Denise Holleran, 60, of Sylva, formerly of New Jersy, passed away Sunday February 14, 2021. A resident of Jackson County for the past 7 years, Denise enjoyed camping and driving her school bus. Denise had a giant personality and was always the life of the party, her greatest pleasure in life was being a grandmother and spending time with all...

Feb 13, 2021

Private cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Appalachian Funeral Services of Sylva NC. 

Feb 11, 2021

Jessica Faye Arthur, age 33, of Cullowhee, NC, passed away on Thursday, February 11, 2021. She was the daughter of Wendy Brinkmeyer and Darin Brinkmeyer. 

In addition to her parents, she is also survived by two brothers; Doug (Michelle) Brinkmeyer and Blake Brinkmeyer and by two sisters; Darcy Brinkmeyer and Chania Hilt. She is further survived by five step siblings; DJ...

Feb 6, 2021

Mary Elizabeth Clapsaddle, of Sylva NC, passed away February 6, 2021. She was born August 7, 1934. She was married to the late Ross Williard Clapsaddle.

She is survived by her sons, Kyle Ralph Clapsaddle, Kole Keith Clapsaddle (Kim Garrett Clapsaddle) of Sylva; step-son, Thomas Hampton Garrett; grandchildren, Nikole Clapsaddle Jasso (Ricardo Jasso III), Nathaniel Ross Clapsaddle; and great-grandchildren, Ricardo Jasso...

Feb 6, 2021

Robert A. “Bob” Kent died peacefully and surrounded by his family on Saturday, February 6, 2021, in Sylva, North Carolina, after more than a decade of living with Parkinson’s disease.  Bob was born in Century, Florida on September 7, 1944, and grew up on the family farm in Jay, Florida.  Graduating from Jay High School in 1961, he attended Pensacola...